Nearly 200,000 college and University students applied for the government’s National Youth Opportunity Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme despite the programme targeting youth with limited access to education, employment, and financial opportunities.
This was revealed by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni who said that the NYOTA Programme is not meant to benefit college and university students but those who never proceeded to secondary schools or colleges.
Speaking in an interview on a local television on Tuesday, Mang’eni said the NYOTA initiative targets young people with limited access to education, employment and financial opportunities, adding that it aims to empower those most affected by economic hardship.
However, Mang’eni revealed that out of 1.4 million applicants, about 300,000 did not complete the process, while 1.1 million managed to finish their applications. Among them, nearly 200,000 were college and university students, prompting the ministry to segment the program’s.
“At least 200,000 were college and university students. That’s why now we are segmenting this initiative. This is targeting those at the very bottom of the economic pyramid,” she explained.
The PS said the NYOTA Program is focused on supporting those at the lowest economic level, adding that other initiatives under her ministry would be developed to cater for college and university students.
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“We are working out other initiatives that are now going to target college and university students, because even they need opportunities,” she said.
Mang’eni explained that the application process was conducted digitally through the Hustler Fund platform, using the zero-rated code *254#, to ensure equal access for all young people, including those using basic feature phones.
“We rolled it out digitally, and the reason why we’ve done it digitally is so that nobody says you must know someone. Here, it’s only your phone. And we leveraged on the zero-rated channel of Hustler Fund, which is *254#, whether you have a feature phone or a smartphone, you could still access it,” she said.
The programme’s first phase targets 54,000 youth for start-up grants, followed by immediate skills training. Nyota also includes mentorship, access to business infrastructure, and guidance to help young entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses and create jobs. Beneficiaries will also be enrolled in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to save as they grow their businesses.
The programme launched by President William Ruto , during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations held at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay County, seeks to equip young people with skills, training, and financial support to promote self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
Ruto noted that the initiative targets over 800,000 youth aged 18 to 29 years, and up to 35 years for those with disabilities.
By Juma Ndigo
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